Improvement in car-roofs



L. P. BARNES &' J."H. PAUPEL.

Gar-Roofs.

No. 199,014. Patented Jan. 8,1878.

INVENTUHE.

@M M @L M M v ATTEET.

N-PEFERQ, FHOTO-LITHO ER. WASHINGTON. D C.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LOVIOK l BARNES AND JOHN" H. FAUPEI OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

IM PROVE'M ENT; 1 N CAR- ROOFS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 199,014, dated January8, 1878 application filed .May 1 8, 1877. r

To all whom it may concern:

ing is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to theannexed drawing, making a part of this specification, in which- Figure 1is a view in perspective, showing a portion of our improved roof, one ofthe battens being removed to show the door in the roof; Fig. 2, a crossvertical section of the roof; Fig. 3, a detail showing a portion of theroof in longitudinal vertical section, the dotted lines indicating theposition of the door in the roof when opened; and Fig. 4, a detail,being a portion of the roof in longitudinal vertical section, showingthe mode of forming the joints in the roof.

Similar letters refer to similar parts.

The present improvement has relation, mainly, to the means used inrendering the roof water-tight. It also has reference to the provisionfor closing the joints in the roof. It further relates to a removableportion of the roof, to provide thereby an entrance to the car. By meansof it, also, the roof can be readily and strongly made from inexpensivematerial.

In the annexed drawing, Arepresents aportion of a car-roof embodying ourimprovement. B B B represent the roof-boards, resting at the upper endupon the ridge-pole G, and at the lower end upon the string-pieces D D.The upper surface of the boards B B B is corrugated, as shown at a a,forming gutters, extending from the ridge of the roof to the caves. Theboards may be either dovetailed together or made to butt, as shown inFig. 4. E E E represent battens, arranged above the joints between theroofboards. They are made wide enough to extend into the secondcorrugation, a a, on either side of the joint, and are so shaped as tobear upon the boards B B directly at the joint, and also in the secondcorrugations, a a, but not to come in contact with the boards B B at thefirst corrugations, a a, as shown in Figs. 1, 3, and 4. The battens areheld in place by bolts F F, passing down through the battens between theroof-boards, and through the straps G G,

7 i 7 that extend from end to end of the roof on its Be it known thatwe, LOVIOK PJBARNES and JOHN H. FAUPEL, residents of St. Louis,Missouri, have made a new and usefulImprovement in Oar-Roofs, of whichthe followunderside. In the ridge; pole G, and just below the pointwhere the ends of the boards B B butt against the pole, are gutters c 0,extending from end to end to the pole. The latter is alsoextendedlaterally each'side, respectively, of the gutters c c, to form abearing, 0 c, for the upper ends of the roof-boards. H H H (but oneshown) represent tie-rods extending just beneath the rafter I, acrossthe roof, and through the pieces D D, and provided at the ends with nuts71. h. A king-rod, J, (one to each tie-rod,) passes down through theridge-pole O, rafter I, and the tie-rod H, and at its lower end isfurnished with a nut, j. K represents a cap attached to the upper sideof the ridge-pole, and projecting over the battens. If desired, the rodsJ can pass through the cap, as shown, or may extend through theridge-pole only.

L represents a removable portion of the roof, the object whereof beingto thereby provide an entrance to the car, through which boards or otherlong articles can be readily passed into the car. The door L is formedof one or more of the roof-boards. As shown, but one board is used. Thedoor may be made entirely removable, or it maybe hinged, as shown, tothe adjoining board.

To open the door, the batten is first removed, as shown in Fig. l. Thedoor is then drawn out from the ridge-pole to escape the recess in thelatter, and the cap when it is raised, as indicated by the dotted. linesin Fig.

3. The hinges e e are made suitably to enable the door to be moved downfrom the ridgepole. The door is fastened suitably by a screw-bolt, l,passing into an eye, 1. Now, by reason of the batten extending laterallyinto the second corrugations, a a, at either side, respectively, of thejoint, the principal portion of the water falling upon the roof isprevented from entering beneath the batten even asfar as thecorrugations a a. Such small amount, however, as may enter under theside edges of the batten, has opportunity to run oif in the last-namedcorrugations. a a, and, by reason of the batten not coming in contactwith the roof in the corrugations a a, all liability of the water beingcarried into the joint by capillary attraction (which would exist if thebatten and board came together throughout the width of the former) isavoided. The joint, therefore, between the roof-boards is renderedpractically water-tight. Such water as is liable to be driven past theupper ends of the boards and battens into the recess of the ridge-poleis carried offby the gutters c 0.

Whenever the roof needs tightening, the nuts h h are screwed up on thetie-rods H H, as well as the nut j. This readily operates to draw thevarious parts of the frame of the roof closely together.

Thebattens aid in holding the roof-boards in place. Screws are alsopassed from beneath upward through the straps G G into the roof-boards.-

When the roof is made of wooden boards, as shown, an advantage arisesfrom using .curved in place of square grooves in the formation of thegutters a a.

With the latter form of groove the boards are very liable (especiallyinthe roof of a car) to split in the line of the corner of the groove.This does not occur with a curved groove.

We claim- 1. A car-roof joint consisting of two corrugated adjoininglower boards and an upper board or batten, the latter coming in contactwith the former at three points only-via, at the seam between the lowerboards, and in the second corrugation at each side of the seamand beingseparated throughout the first corrugation at each side of the seam,substantially as described.

2. The combination, in a car-roof, of the boards B B, battens E E, boltsF F, and straps G G, substantially as described.

3. In a car-roof, the ridge-pole O, having the LOVIOK P. BARNES. JOHN H.FAUPEL.

Witnesses:

SAML. S. Bovn, PAUL BAICEWELL.

